54th Airlift Squadron

54th Airlift Squadron

Active 1917–1919; 1927–1931; 1931–1936; 1939–1942, 1942–1943; 1967–1972; 1993–present
Country  United States
Branch  United States Air Force
Role Airlift
Part of Air Mobility Command
Garrison/HQ Scott Air Force Base
Motto(s) Wings of Knowledge[1]
Engagements World War I Theater of Operations
American Theater of World War II
Vietnam War[1]
Decorations Presidential Unit Citation
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device
Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm[1]
Commanders
Notable
commanders		 Major General John W. Persons[2]
Insignia
54th Airlift Squadron emblem (appproved 30 November 1993)[1]
54th Bombardment Squadron emblem (approved 10 October 1931)[3]

The 54th Airlift Squadron is a United States Air Force squadron stationed at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. The squadron is an active duty associate unit aiding the 932d Airlift Wing in support of its mission. The first predecessor of the squadron was formed in 1917 as the 54th Aero Squadron in August 1917 and served in France during World War II.

History

World War I

The first predecessor of the squadron was formed in August 1917 as the 54th Aero Squadron. The unit was organized primarily from recruits in the Columbus, Ohio area at Kelly Field, Texas. After a month of indoctrination training at Kelly, it moved to the Aviation Concentration Center at Hazelhurst Field, Long Island, New York, where it arrived on 21 September. At Hazelhurst, the squadron was outfitted for overseas duty, sailing on the Cunard Liner RMS Pannonia (1902) on 13 October with seven other squadrons, Arriving in Belfast, Ireland on the 28th. The following day, the squadron disembarked at Liverpool for a train trip to Southampton. The squadron arrived at Le Havre, France on 1 November.[4]

After some rest in Le Havre, the squadron then boarded a French train for Issoudun Aerodrome in central France. Its mission was to assist in the construction of a large training aerodrome, designated the Third Aviation Instruction Center. The squadron erected wooden barracks, dug ditches for water and sewer lines as well as electricity and telephones. It was redesignated as the 466th Aero Squadron on 1 February 1918 when Aero Squadrons engaging in construction work were renumbered in the 400s.[4]

On 10 March 1918, with the work largely completed at Issodun, the squadron was moved to Air Service Production Center No. 2 at Romorantin Aerodrome. There, the squadron assisted in the same type of construction it performed at Issodun.[4]

By 1 April 1918, the facility was ready for use as an active Air Service training camp. As part of the permanent garrison at Romorantin, the squadron's mission was to assemble aircraft, work in the engineering department, maintain the facilitates of the base, operate the quartermaster's office and other administrative departments of the production center. It continued this work until the armistice in November 1918.[4]

In late December 1918, the squadron was ordered to be demobilized by the Commanding General, Services of Supply, American Expeditionary Forces. It moved to a staging area near Brest where it awaited transportation back to the United States. The squadron arrived at Garden City, New York, at the end of January 1919 where it was demobilized and its men returned to civilian life.[3]

Flying training

The second predecessor of the 54th was the 54th School Squadron, which was activated in July 1927 at March Field, California. The squadron conducted flying training with Douglas BT-2s until July 1931, when the Air Corps concentrated its pilot training at fields in the San Antonio, Texas area and inactivated the squadron and March Field.[3]

Proving ground unit

B-26 Marauder on a bomb training run at Eglin Field[note 2]

The squadron was reactivated at Maxwell in October 1939 and assigned to the 23d Composite Group. The group's mission was to demonstrate current tactics to students attending the Air Corps Tactical School, with the understanding that the group would also assume the demonstration and exhibition function that was being carried out by combat units of Air Force Combat Command. The group was also assigned the mission of performing tactical service tests of aircraft and other equipment; developing and testing new air tactics; and demonstrating these new tactics to the service schools of the other branches of the United States Army, to General Headquarters, and at Air Corps stations.[5] The squadron was initially the group's bomber unit, although two months afer it was activated, it added "Medium" to its designation when the 24th Attack-Bombardment Squadron was added to the 23d Group as its attack and dive bomber unit.[1][6]

The squadron moved to Orlando Army Air Base, Florida the following year, and to Eglin Field on 1 July 1941. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, the squadron was equipped with various aircraft types at Eglin. The squadron's mission focused on developing and demonstrating tactics and doctrine. After moving to Eglin it also conducted testing of experimental weapons, including the Martin B-26 Marauder. On 1 May 1942, the squadron and the group's other squadrons were disbanded[1] as the group focused on weapons development rather than tactics.

Return to airlift mission

The 54th Airlift Squadron is a United States Air Force Squadron currently located at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. The Squadron operates under a Total Force Associate (TFA) unit aiding the 932nd Airlift Wing in support of their mission.[7] The 54th Airlift Squadron belongs administratively to the 375th Air Mobility Wing and the 375th Operations Group at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. The unit uniquely operates under the 932nd Airlift Wing and the 932nd Operations Group at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois alongside the 73rd Airlift Squadron. With this unique relationship the 73rd Airlift Squadron owns the aircraft, and the 54th Airlift Squadron provides aircrew members flying together as one mixed crew.[7] The primary aircraft currently operated is the Boeing C-40C (BBJ). The unit was reactivated in February 2007 after it was relocated and mission reassigned from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio after operating the C-21 for nearly a decade at the location. The primary mission of the 54th Airlift Squadron is safe, comfortable, and reliable transportation of our nations senior leaders.[8]


Lineage

54th Aero Squadron
Redesignated 466th Aero Squadron (Construction) on 1 February 1918
Demobilized on 10 February 1919


54th Bombardment Squadron
Activated on 31 July 1927
Inactivated on 30 April 1931
Redesignated 54th Bombardment Squadron on 1 March 1935
Inactivated on 1 September 1936
Consolidated with the 466th Aero Squadron on 14 October 1936[9]
Redesignated 54th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 6 December 1939
Disbanded on 1 May 1942[3]


54th Transport Squadron
Activated on 16 September 1942
Redesignated 54th Transport Squadron on 19 March 1943


54th Airlift Squadron
Organized on 25 February 1967
inactivated on 30 September 1972
Redesignated 54th Airlift Squadron on 30 September 2004
Inactivated on 31 December 2006[10]

Assignments

Stations

  • Kelly Field, Texas, 8 August 1917
  • Hazelhurst Field, Garden City, New York, 21 September–October 1917
  • Issoudun Aerodrome, France, 4 November 1917
  • Romorantin Aerodrome, France, 19 March 1918
  • Brest, France, 28 December 1918 – c. 12 January 1919
  • Aviation Concentration Center, Garden City, New York, c. 31 January – 10 February 1919
  • March Field, California, 31 July 1927 – 30 April 1931
  • Maxwell Field, Alabama, 15 July 1931 – 1 September 1936
  • Maxwell Field, Alabama, 1 October 1939
  • Orlando Army Air Base, Florida, 2 September 1940
  • Eglin Field, Florida, 29 June 1941 – 1 May 1942.[3]
  • Macwell Air Force Base, Alabama, 1 April 1993
  • Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, c. 1 April 1993[1]
  • Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, c. 30 September 2004 – 31 December 2006[10]
  • Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, 19 March 2007 – present[11]

Aircraft

References

Notes
  1. ↑ Aircraft is Boeing C-40C Clipper serial 09-540
  2. ↑ Aircraft is Martin B-26C Marauder serial 41-34674. This aircraft was the second B-26C off the B-26 production line at Omaha, Nebraska.
Citations
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Factsheet 54 Airlift Flight". Air Force Historical Research Agency. December 9, 2007. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
  2. ↑ "About Us, Biographies: Major General John W. Persons". United States Air Force Public Affairs. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 223
  4. 1 2 3 4 Gorrell
  5. ↑ Finney, pp. 18-19
  6. ↑ Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 125
  7. 1 2 Brown, Jackie-Lynn. A4L Staff - Air University, ed. Flight Attendant Journeyman Career Development Course 1A651. Lackland AFB, TX: Air Education and Training Command. pp. 1–13.
  8. ↑ Castle, Maria (February 22, 2017). "Airlift squadrons provide safe, reliable transportation to nation’s senior leaders". www.amc.af.mil. Retrieved March 26, 2017.
  9. 1 2 Clay, p. 1414
  10. 1 2 3 Research Division, Air Force Historical Research Agency, Air Force Organization Change Status Report, December 2006, Maxwell AFB, AL
  11. 1 2 3 Research Division, Air Force Historical Research Agency, Air Force Organization Change Status Report, March 2007, Maxwell AFB, AL
  12. 1 2 3 4 See Gorrell
  13. ↑ Assignment data through January 1997 in Factsheet, 54 Airlift Flight, except as noted.

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

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